20 yr Corridor logo
In This Issue
IADG Venture Award Hall of Fame
FastTrac students graduate
Kudos!
Entrepreneurial Endowment Fund
Laborshed surveys beginning
Be Your Own Boss
Wilder Thymes opens in Spirit Lake
Middle School Entrepreneurship Academy
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Iowa Area Development Group Venture Award Hall of Fame 
The Iowa Area Development Group recently released its Venture Award Hall of Fame. Many companies within the Corridor region are included in this prestigious list:
Aero Race Wheels 
Bil-Mar Foods Inc.
Great Lakes Aviation LLC 
Dakota Pack
Daybreak Foods
Eaton Corporation
GKN Armstrong Wheels 
Green Plains Superior 
Iowa Protein Solutions 
Land Mark Products
ITC Midwest
Maurer Manufacturing 
Metal Works
Rembrandt Enterprises 
Rosenboom
Shine Bros. Corp.
Simonsen Iron Works 
Veridian Limited 
Stylecraft
Freudenberg NOK
US Bio Albert City
FastTrac NewVenture students graduate
The Iowa Lakes Corridor is a certified FastTrac provider, and recently held a NewVenture training course. This 10-week, 30-hour course helps entrepreneurs in the beginning stages of their business. 

Seven students completed the FastTrac course on April 24, which was facilitated by Brian Dalziel, senior vice president of the Iowa Lakes Corridor. Each week, a guest speaker talked to the class about different aspects of entrepreneurship. These topics include market research, financial goals, building a team and monitoring cash flow. 

 

Congratulations to the graduates! We will continue working with these entrepreneurs to grow their businesses!

 

Kudos!!

KAYL-KKIA awarded Teacher of the Year to Kathy Pedersen, a Storm Lake St. Mary's Kindergarten teacher. 

Merrill Manufacturing of Storm Lake received the Small Business Exporter of the Year award from the Iowa Small Business Development Center.

The city of Spencer was selected as one of four Blue Zones communities in the state. 

Spencer Municipal Utilities Communications celebrated its 15th Anniversary on May 6.

Employment Support of the Guard and Reserve named Area 3 for outstanding performance. Area 3 includes Clay, Buena Vista, Dickinson, Emmet, Webster, Calhoun, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Humboldt and Kossuth counties.

Tom Kuhlman, executive director and vice president of the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber, was named Executive of the Year by Mid-America Chamber Executives.  

Barry Anderson and family of Greenville won the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award. 

Tom Manley was named Spencer's Citizen of the Year. 

Two Iowa Lakes Community College Administrators received 
STARS award by the Iowa Community College Online Consortium. Barb Grandstaff, Registrar, Scott Stokes, the executive dean at the Estherville campus. 

Lizbeth Ramos, an Estherville Lincoln Central Parent Contact Coordinator, received the Paul Mann Memorial Human Relations Award from Iowa State Education Association. Lizbeth interprets and translates meetings, documents, and written materials for second language students' families. 

Spencer Municipal Utilities received the 2012 IADG Impact Award for site development of the Green Industrial Center in Spencer. 

Entrepreneurial Development Endowment Fund with the  

Okoboji Foundation  

Family of Funds

The Corridor has created an Entrepreneurial Development Endowment Fund within the Okoboji Foundation Family of Funds. This fund gives us the ability to offer our donors the Endow Iowa Tax Credit available only through a qualified community foundation.

With a contribution to this fund, taxpayers may be eligible to receive a 25% Iowa Tax Credit in addition to normal federal charitable income tax deductions for certain charitable gifts. This is an exciting program that benefits both donors and the Corridor. 

Gifts to the Iowa Lakes Corridor Entrepreneurial Development Fund allow the Corridor to use your charitable contribution strategically in response to the most pressing entrepreneurial and economic development issues. Your contribution continues to support economic growth and development during and after your lifetime. 

More information, as well as a contribution and pledge form, can be found here.  You can also make a donation on the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines' website.
Want to be included in The Corridor?
Do you have a Kudos, Upcoming Event, feature story or other item that you would like included in The Corridor? Contact  Carrie and she'll be sure to include it!
 
The Corridor
May 2012 
Greetings!

The Iowa Lakes Corridor has been busy preparing for the new four year strategic plan, which begins July 1, while ensuring the successful completion of the current strategic plan. The Corridor is excited to announce several new investors:

AgPartners - Albert City

Aero Race Wheels - Estherville

Clay County Regional Events Center - Spencer

CommStock Commodity - Royal

Computer Zone - Estherville 

Community First Broadcasting - Spirit Lake

Eaton - Spencer

Fillenwarth & Fillenwarth - Estherville

Fitzgibbons Law Office - Estherville

Graves Construction - Spencer

Hy-Vee - Estherville, Spencer, Spirit Lake, and Storm Lake

ITC Midwest - Des Moines

Meta Bank - Storm Lake

Merrill Manufacturing. - Storm Lake

Spencer Office Supplies - Spencer

United Bank of Iowa - Storm Lake

Valero Renewables - Albert City and Hartley

Web Graphics - Milford

 

Thank you to all of our new investors, and we thank the current investors for their continued support.

Save the date! 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the Iowa Lakes Corridor. Our annual meeting will be held Monday, June 25 at Gull Point State Park in Wahpeton. Mark your calendars and plan to attend this special celebration. You can register to attend here. Cost to attend is $15.

As the summer begins, Samantha, the Corridor's communications coordinator, will be on maternity leave. To maintain our marketing and communications, the Iowa Lakes Corridor has hired an intern, Carrie Cunningham. Carrie is a Spencer High School alum and is currently attending Iowa State University. She just finished her freshman year at ISU where she is majoring in elementary education. To contact Carrie at the Corridor office, email her at [email protected] 

Laborshed telephone surveys beginning

The Iowa Lakes Corridor has been working with the Iowa Workforce Development's Regional Research Bureau to complete a Laborshed employment study for the Corridor region. This study will develop the potential labor force from which the Iowa Lakes Corridor employers draw their employees based upon commuting patterns into the region. The study will assist existing and potential new businesses in better understanding the areas labor force and characteristics regardless of political boundaries.

 

The Laborshed boundary is based on the place of residence of individuals working in the Corridor region. For the success of this study, Iowa Workforce Development has asked employers in the Laborshed area to provide aggregate counts of their employees by ZIP code by place of residence. This reporting will give a better understanding of where each community's workforce resides.

 

Now that the Laborshed area has been determined, a confidential household telephone survey began the week of May 14. The questions cover topics such as employment status, wages, benefits, education, and occupation. Survey results will then be applied to demographic data to develop a total potential labor force of the Laborshed as well as estimates for various labor force characteristics. Each telephone survey takes approximately 10 minutes; all information collected is confidential, and all reporting is in aggregate form. 


Participation in the telephone surveys is much appreciated. The more people that participate, the more comprehensive the results will be. 

 

For questions about the Laborshed employment study project, please contact Ryan Murphy with Iowa Workforce Development at 515-281-7505 or the Iowa Lakes Corridor at 712-264-3474.

Be Your Own Boss seminar held 
John Slump, co-founder of Corvida Medical, gave the keynote speech with his business partner Jared Garfield at Be Your Own Boss seminar. 
 
The Corridor recently held the fifth annual Be Your Own Boss seminar for high school students throughout the Corridor region. Over 70 students attended and learned about entrepreneurship from young entrepreneurs. Schools that attended include Spencer, Spirit Lake, Storm Lake, Harris-Lake Park and Clay Central Everly.

During the seminar, four break-out sessions were held. The students were broken up into smaller groups and attended each of the sessions. The sessions were led by young entrepreneurs and those who assist entrepreneurs. The speakers were Nick Cash, founder of Book Hatchery; Therese Kuster, Greg Jass and Doug Drees, co-founders of TargetClick Marketing; Grant Stanley, founder of Contemporary Analysis; and Anissa Jepsen, county youth coordinator for Iowa State University Extension Clay County. 

 

Wilder Thymes Natural Foods open in Spirit Lake

'Potential is unlimited' for the store

 

SPIRIT LAKE - When The Market Community Co-op closed in October 2011, Brian Quiring decided to see if he could find a way to try to keep organic and locally grown food items available to the customers in the region. Quiring is an organic vegetable farmer who had been selling some of his produce at The Market for the last few years. It seemed like there were quite a few people in the area who had a desire and interest in buying local and organic foods, and if the right scenario could be worked out, he felt he could make a go of a store.

 

After months of preparation, Quiring opened Wilder Thymes Natural Foods at 711 16th Street, Spirit Lake, in late February. "It didn't take long to find that there is a solid group of area residents who are passionate about eating healthy, flavorful and organic foods," said Quiring.

 

 

Along with produce, Wilder Thymes has frozen foods, drinks, cereals, pastas, whole grains, cooking and baking ingredients, snacks, chips, dairy, meat, bulk items and spices. The store also has a supply of cleaning products, personal care items and supplements. Since gluten-sensitivity has become an important issue for many people, the store offers a large supply of gluten-free products, as well as dairy-free and soy-free items.

 

Quiring says the "potential is unlimited," and has many ideas for the store, including the addition of Lisa Roslansky in May, who will be operating her baked goods business out of the kitchen. She is planning to provide take-and-bake pizzas, lasagna and pot pies, along with ready-made sandwiches, focaccia breads, and more. Roslansky's products will be made with as many organic ingredients and produce from the farm as possible.

 

At his farm, Quiring grows over 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. "I grow just about everything you can grow around here, and then some," he said. He is also a member of the Little Sioux Cooperative Growers Group, and often gets produce from the other local growers when he doesn't have it available himself.

 

The store has over 800 products in stock, and can special order over 20,000 other items. Quiring tries to have as many of the products as possible be organic and local. Finding suppliers hasn't been too difficult, so far. "The only thing that I've been looking for that I haven't found yet is a source for Iowa organic wine," he said.

 

His products and suppliers include organic pasture raised beef and lamb from Thankful Harvest, Freeman Honey, Little Swan Lake Winery, Okoboji Brewing Company, Lantern Coffee, chicken from Soper Farms, and turkey from Ferndale Market/Peterson Farms.

 

Since space in the store is limited, an online ordering system has been set up for customers who may either be looking for large quantities of produce or for the more unusual items not regularly kept in stock. These items can be purchased at http://localdirt.com/wilderthymes. Ordered items will be harvested specifically for the customer and then brought to the store for pick up. For up-to-date product information, photos and daily specials, visit Wilder Times Natural Foods Facebook page. Contact Wilder Thymes Natural Foods at 712-336-2520 and [email protected]

Middle School Entrepreneurship Academy

 

Students who have completed grades six through eight are invited to attend the Iowa Lakes Corridor's Entrepreneurship Academy, held July 9-13 at Iowa Lakes Community College in Spencer. Students from Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties can come and learn from local entrepreneurs about how to turn a hobby into a business.

 

During the week, students will focus on the basics of starting a business. They will learn how to write a business plan and create their own business cards and flyers. Students will have the chance to learn from real entrepreneurs during the week. They will put a power point presentation together to present to a panel of judges, and compete for cash prizes at the end of the week. Students will gain knowledge that they can use in years to come. It is never too early to start teaching students the entrepreneurial mindset that they will be able to apply to their future careers.  

 

Cost for the event is $49, and transportation will be provided for students outside of Spencer. Scholarships are available for those in need. Classes will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. each day.

 

If you know a student who has completed grades six through eight, encourage them to sign up for the academy. To enroll a student in the Entrepreneurship Academy, fill out the application and return it to the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation at [email protected] or 712-264-3474. Applications will be accepted until the camp is full. 

Upcoming Events

Club E

The Corridor's entrepreneur networking group, Club E, will meet at 5 p.m. on Monday, June 4, at Spud Nuts in Okoboji. Attend this entrepreneur networking meeting for the opportunity to meet and learn from other business owners in the region. Contact Brian at the Corridor office for more information, 712-264-3474. Spud Nuts is located on Highway 71 in Okoboji, across from Tweeters.

 

Effective Financial Management Workshop 
Erichsen, Eckard & Associates, P.C., are holding workshops on effective financial management. Topics include managing cash flow, role of management, profit improvement strategy and more. The workshops will be held Monday, May 21 from 1-5 p.m. and Wednesday, May 23 from 1-5 p.m. Each workshop costs $300. Register by phone, email or online by going to www.eea-cpas.com and select Seminars & Classes on left side menu. For questions call Tom Erichsen at 712-336-2632.

EMS Week at Lakes Regional Healthcare
Lakes Regional Healthcare is hosting Emergency Medical Services week May 20-26. A meet and greet will be held on May 22 from 6-8 p.m. at the HyVee parking lot in Spirit Lake. A second meet and greet will be held on May 24 from 6-8 p.m. at Buy-Rite in Milford. Ambulance staff will be present at both locations and available to speak with the public and have informational pamphlets to hand out. An open house will be held on Wednesday, May 23 from 5-7 pm at LRH's ambulance garage. For more information, call 712-336-8642.

 

LakeFest 2012

Lake Fest will be held in Storm Lake on June 15-16. There will be a BBQ competition, live entertainment, a car show, a bicycle ride around Storm Lake and more! Visit the LakeFest website for a full agenda. 

The Iowa Lakes Corridor office will be closed Monday, May 28 in observance of Memorial Day.

Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation Staff

Kathy Evert

Shaun Arneson

Brian Dalziel

Holly Pearson

Samantha Miller

Joanne Follon

Carrie Cunningham